Migrant caravan disbanded in southern Mexico

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Mexican authorities detained hundreds of Latin American migrants in the southeast of the country on Thursday. As their caravan was dismantled, the organizers were accused of illegal human trafficking.

Of the hundreds of migrants traveling, some were detained by authorities, while others were released when they agreed to return the way they came.

The migrant caravan called "Exodus for Poverty" arrived in Mexican territory in December 2023; since then, the Latin American migrants have denounced negligence and interventions by Mexican authorities, who finally managed to put a stop to what was once the largest migrant caravan crossing the country.

Initial reports had tolled the number of migrants between 8,000 and 10,000 who arrived in the Guatemalan border state of Chiapas at the end of December. By early January, the caravan had initially disintegrated, with thousands setting camp in Chiapas to request humanitarian visas. Local media had reported that almost 90% of the migrants were seeking to settle in Mexico and look for work.

During a morning briefing on December 28, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed that the "Exodus for Poverty" caravan had broken down in Chiapas, "They have been staying in the southeast," said Lopez Obrador, "They have split."

On January 9, nearly 2,000 migrants arrived in Oaxaca, denouncing that the National Migration Institute had not fulfilled its commitment to deliver humanitarian visas, a document that regulates the migratory situation of asylum seekers and guarantees free passage through the country.

According to organizers interviewed by Mexican media, Oaxaca state authorities agreed to provide buses to transport the migrants to the neighboring state of Veracruz, on Mexico's east coast. However, the twenty commercial buses granted by the government were stopped in Veracruz, while ten buses were taken by migration officers and accused of human traffickers; the other half was released when the migrants agreed to return to Oaxaca.

Mexican media have reported from the beginning the complaints made by the migrants, mostly Central Americans, against Mexican authorities. While the organizers asked the government for trucks and free passage through the state of Oaxaca, the migrants reported threats and intimidation by local authorities. ​​​​​​